After you read all about our exciting Haven adventures, head over to Pretty Handy Girl where we're sharing our love of pallets. Yup, we still dig them.: ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jess and I have been counting down the days and finally Haven is Here! What could be better than 3 days away with your BFF, surrounded by creative people from all over the country, talking blogging and DIY, and eating at great restaurants?? I'll tell ya, not much is better than that! We're insanely excited about the keynote speakers… John and Sherry! We were brainstorming ways that we could be sure to meet them (yeah, we're creepy like that-Ha!) Some ideas were dressing in YHL fan club outfits, Making a movie where we dress up like John and Sherry, Dressing up like Eminem (Sherry had a thing for him back in the day) or simply pushing and shoving our way to the front and then acting like we just happened to be there. Each of those options, while fun, made us seem a tad psycho, so we're just crossing our fingers that we get to meet them! (Hint, Hint, if you're reading this Sherry)
There are tons of great sessions we'll be attending. To see the whole list of topics and awesome speakers you can see them here.
We'll be in Atlanta for the next few days, but we'll give you lots of updates on Facebook, so make sure you're following us (HERE). You might even see us with some of the stars of the blogosphere! Have a great rest of the week and don't worry, we'll still have awesome posts for you, so check back tomorrow!
We have another treat for you today! Meet Beth, fromFree Stylin'. She is a girl after our own hearts, since she LOVES decorating with style on a budget, and is pretty darn good at it, too.: ) We had the priviledge of meeting her at Haven, and she is so sweet and bubbly! We're sure you'll love her-after reading her post today, and then head on over toher blog to check out the fun stuff she does in her neck of the woods! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey East Coast Creative Fans!! My name is Beth, and I blog over at Free Stylin'. You can find all kinds of posts about"living a stylish life without the expensive pricetag!" I've been big fans of Jess and Monica's since seeing them on The Nate Berkus Show. Those girls have some talent! It was such a blessing to meet them in person last month at Haven. (And yes, they are as sweet and friendly and beautiful in person!!)
Me, Jess, Monica, and our cute friend Jamie
I was so excited when they asked me to visit with y'all about something I love to talk about…Decorating for FREE!! I am all about using what you've already got to make your space beautiful. I'm also way into projects that I can do right now. (I love instant gratification.) So today I want to show you…
5 FREE Home Decor Projects You Can Make TODAY!
Would you like a little more glamour in your bedroom? New sheet sets and pillow cases can get expensive, and if you try to save a little in price, it could cost you in comfort. BUT!! You CAN make pretty bedding pieces out of the"underutilized"; ) lingerie in the back of your closet. Choose the items that have the most material and add the satin fabric to a pillow case you already own. Or make a throw pillow using pillow fill you aren't currently using. Learn how to make your own HERE.
Trays are a decorating must-have, and they are as functional as they are decorative. A pretty tray can help complete a look, and you can make one for your home in about 15 minutes using an old cookie sheet and a piece of fabric. My tray, above, was made from a shirt I was about to give to the Goodwill. Instead I cut it up and glued it to the cookie sheet. Find out more about it HERE.
Sometimes you just need to see something in a new way. Take a piece of artwork for example. I could no longer even look at the Monet painting on our mantel. So, I sprayed the frame another color and painted my own abstract art instead. You can paint directly to the back of your artwork or buy a poster board for just pennies. See how HERE.
If you don't have paint, or can't because you rent, but you want a change today, try"wallpapering" a wall with maps or book pages or sheets of music. All you need is a stapler and some Mod Podge (or watered down glue) to seal the edges. The paper isn't permanent, but it makes a huge statement in your home. Check out how I papered my boys' bedroom HERE.
Decorating with plates is such a fun and interesting way to bring in color and shapes into a room. And don't feel like you have to limit the plates to just a dining room! Hanging plates on any wall in your house is quick and free…just raid your own kitchen cabinets! You can hang your plates with hot glue and paperclips, too. No fancy plate hangers needed. Go HERE to see how I used plates in my own living room. I hope I've inspired you to try something new and FREE in your home today, using the items you've already got around you. It really does feel great to have a new look for nada lotta. Come stop by Free Stylin' for more tips and tricks like these.: ) Thanks SO much, Jess and Monica, for having me! Hope you're having a fun vacation! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So much amazing inspiration in one place! I don't know about you, but I'm totally loving that abstract art she DIYed. Add that to my ever-growing list of projects! Thanks for being here, Beth!
We have another one of our Haven Conference pals visiting today! Story time: Jess and I were at Haven and noticed one of the cutest girls ever. We're talking adorable outfit, super no-fuss look, but yet perfectly put together. Then we both had a discussion about how I probably should go change my outfit because I tend to lean towards the overly casual side of fashion (what? My Phillies tee wasn't a good choice?). Anyhow, the adorable girl ended up being even cooler once we met her. Let us introduce you to Jamie! Jamie has some awesome projects on her blog, but recently she hit a major home run with this cool kitchen organizer.
It is modern, awesome, and was featured by Design Sponge. Yup, we're talking the real-deal folks! So without further ado… Welcome to EC2 Jamie! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I blog over at C.R.A.F.T., where I Create Really Awesome (mostly) Free Things (it's a nifty little acronym) for your home (junk drawer organzier), wardrobe (pillow case skirt), kitchen (jalapeno hummus), and kids (dot painting)! I 'm super excited to be guest posting on East Coast Creative today… I met these awesome ladies in real life at Haven in July. I like them and their blog even more now: ) Today's tutorial is a great summer time craft since it is fun for kids and adults… It's a puzzle cube!
You'll need:
wood glue
q-tips
paint
wooden cubes
Each pack of cubes has 72 individual cubes, each 3x3 cube needs 27 individual cubes. (insert nerd voice) According to my calculations, if you bought 3 packs (72 x 3= 216 and 216/27=8) you could make 8 cubes! A few more calculations tell us that each 3 x 3 cube costs only $1.12 a piece to make.
You can get these at Hobby Lobby or any local craft store: Here's what I did to make my cube puzzle…
Let me explain:
Step 1: Count out 27 cubes
Step 2: Build your 3x3 cube so you have something visual to work with…
Step 3: Use a q-tip to carefully start gluing your cubes together. It gets kind of tricky.
Step 4: A few times I glued only 2 cubes together so I could keep the 3x3 cube shape, and better see what I'm working with.
Now, it's time to paint… I picked an Americano theme only because those are the Plaid paints I had on hand. I don't suggest painting with q-tips… I tried since the Q-tips were out and I didn't want to dirty a paint brush… trust me on this one, it's not worth it: ) Not to mention, why I tried to paint and glue on a magazine, another dumb move… I could have at least opened the magazine up for more surface area!
I used sand paper after the cubes dried because a few pieces were clumpy. I like how it turned out. Take a few pictures like the ones below so that you can remember how the pieces go back together!
Fun and easy, right? If you like the puzzle cube, check out more C.R.A.F.T. projects to keep you and kiddos happy, entertained, and creatively inspired this summer! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks so much Jamie! I think this would look really cool as an accessory in my family room. It's functional and trendy looking. My ten year old now has a project to keep her busy this weekend! Thanks Again!
You want to know what we learned this year at the first ever Haven conference? There are so many talented people in the world. It's true. Every single blogger we met has unbelievable talent, was super cute (I'm not lying when I say that Monica and I left feeling old and frumpy!), and could not have been nicer. It totally felt like a huge family reunion (except that we had never met before!) Seriously, though, we attended some inspiring sessions, chatted with some of our favorite bloggers and enjoyed really fun BFF time, too! It started out with a smooth flight, a pricey cab to the hotel (60 bucks, one way!) and the discovery that the hotel had overbooked and that our confirmation was actually a pending notification. Booo. But the guys at the Crowne Plaza worked it out and we got a room (a nice one, I might add!)
Upon arrival, we met some of the Haven crew and received our swag bags. There were some pretty sweet finds in the bag, but our favs were definitely the Annie Sloan Chalk paint, Purdy paint brush, Kreg Jig Jr. and a stencil from our go-to stencil girls at Royal Design Studio. Score!
We attended six sessions total, each of them were taught by some blogging bigwigs- do you see that list below? Southern Rhoda, Tracie at Beneath my Heart, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Sarah of Thrifty Decor Chick, and Myra from My Blessed Life We were SO thrilled to meet these ladies in real life and hear all the stuff they've learned through their blogging experience. We also spent time talking with vendors (Monica won 3 awesome paint brushes at the Annie Sloan chalk paint booth), and with business cards in hand, checked out all the blogs we hadn't read before,.
Rashon Carraway, aka Mr. Goodwill Hunting, rocked the Thrifting 101 session! Remember him from The Nate Show? We had fun sharing stories about our times on the show and how great the staff was to us. Good times, I tell you.
Sherry and John from Young House Love were the keynote speakers, and not only were they adorable, they were so down to earth, full of good tips and witty, to boot. Not fair. We loved their mindset about writing their blog, and their honesty about sort of stumbling into blogging fame. We could have talked with Sherry the entire night. She's totally like the other best friend we wish we had.
We LOVED meeting so many people with similar passions as ours, and discovering awesome blogs we had never heard about. No one truly understands blogging except other bloggers, that's for sure.
Beth from Free Stylin' and Jamie from C.R.A.F.T
The highlight of our trip was meeting our blog mentor, Beckie. We've been chatting with her on the phone every week for the past few months. We knew she was insanely talented and driven, but we were so not prepared for how awesome she is in person! And drop-dead gorgeous. Her session about advertising had everyone buzzing about her. And for good reason! Love.that.girl.
Monica was really excited to meet her, and I was scared, I guess. Awkward, Jess, awkward. And I'm sure you've all heard of Allison from House of Hepworths, but we were psyched to meet her since we were in the Blogging 2 Better collaboration with her the past 6 weeks.
Layla from The Lettered Cottage, taught a killer session on photo styling that rocked our picture-taking world. How she preps rooms for photos is genius, and even though we learned a lot, we're pretty sure that she has a creative eye that can't be duplicated. I am a HUGE fan of hers, so was pretty excited that she sort of knew who we were (or pretended to, anyway!)
We also had the priviledge of hanging out a bit with Ashley and Whitney from Shanty 2 Chic. These girls make DIYing look amazing. A gorgeous, creative blogging duo.
And speaking of gorgeous-ness…take a look at Ana White building a rolling storage caddy in sky-high heels and tight cropped pants. Fabulous, isn't it? Makes us feel like we should maybe reconsider our t-shirt and sweatpants attire for DIYing. Or maybe not.
And finally, here's a shot of us fooling around at the Homes.com photo booth. Our new bloggy best friend, Karah from The Space Between, took this picture and we love it. And you'll love her. First of all, she lives in Curacao, and secondly she does great projects (just check out her rooftop pallet bed) and thirdly, she's a lot of fun to hang out with.
So that's our crazy recap! All in all we had as really fun time, and I can't say enough how much fun I have with Monica. It may actually be possible that two people share the same brain. Just sayin'.; ) If you could meet one blog crush, who would you choose?
Good morning, everyone! It's very rare to meet other blogging duos in this blogland, so when we met Ashley and Whitney of Shanty-2-Chic at Haven last summer, we were thrilled! True story: when we were checking in to the hotel in Atlanta, we were told they didn't have a room for us. So we were sitting like total dorks in the lobby (we were even dressed in scrubby outfits!), waiting for a room, when two gorgeous, personable, cheerful girls entered the lobby. We were clueless as to who they were (what? Were we living under a rock?), but it turns out they were the Shanty girls! These two are the sweetest and prettiest women you'll ever see wielding power tools. Super-talented, down-to-earth. and uber-wecoming to the two of us newbie bloggers. If you haven't been to their site, please do so immediately (after reading about their awesome project!) and you won't be disappointed. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey guys! We are the Shanty Sisters, and we are so excited to be blog swapping with the ECC girls today! We had the pleasure of meeting them in Georgia last year, and we hit it off from the start! They are sweet girls, and we love that they are a blogging duo just like us!; -)
With Christmas just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to share a quick DIY gift idea! I love photo gifts. This is a super simple, cheap and cute way to display photos. It cost me under $3 a piece to make these… Woohoo! It makes a great gift for friends and family. Here is how mine turned out…
And, here is how I made it!
For those of you that don’t have a saw… This is one you need to have. You can EASILY cut this project and so many others on our site using this. Cheap and easy… Promise! That’s a stocking stuffer gals! Come on… You will thank me! This is a perfect ‘craft’ saw, and you would be shocked at how many projects you can do with it! You can also have the hardware store cut the wood for you. HD has a handsaw just like this one in the wood section at all times.
That's it for the building part! Now you are ready for the printable! I made a few printables for this project. Today I am sharing the 'So Very Blessed' printable. To print it, just click the photo below. Once it opens, just click print from your top browser bar. I printed mine on cream colored cardstock. I like the weight of cardstock paper for this project, and you can get it super cheap at any craft store.
I chose to use upholstery tacks to hold my paper in place. These can be found at any craft or hardware store. They are really cheap and cute. They are also really easy to remove by using a small screwdriver under the head of the nail. This makes changing out your printable really easy!
Your final step is adding photos! I like to print my photos out on photo paper at home. This saves me lots of money, and keeps me from dragging my 5 kiddos to Walmart to pick up photos… Win win! I cut my photos out, put them on the display and I was DONE. So quick, so cheap, but still so cute! My kind of project! And… Did I mention I made these babies for under $3 a piece?? Just making sure! Today I shared the 'So Very Blessed' Printable, but be sure to come visit Ash and I over at Shanty2Chic where I will be sharing the other 3 printables for this project! Here are a few more shots…
A little bit more about the Shanty Sisters…
We are 2 sisters sharing how we transform our homes on a budget! With 8 kiddos between the two of us, we put every naptime to good use; -)! From building projects like this $65 farmhouse table…
To transforming things like this $15 mirror made from a Walmart mirror…
And even offering free printables like our latest free alphabet banner!
We would love for you to come check us out anytime at our site, Shanty-2-Chic.com!
You can also follow us on Facebook! And keep up with all of our posts by following us on Pinterest!
Thanks so much again for having us girls! We are honored; -)!! ~Whitney & Ashley -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seriously, isn't that adorable?! We love us some cheap projects and this is one of the best ideas we've seen this year! Thanks so much for being here, girls!
So, if you haven't heard (which is very unlikely because, let's face it, we're pretty excited about it and have been shouting it from the rooftops), we are working on our very own TV show for the Live Well Network! If you're not familiar with LWN, don't worry, you will be soon!! The team behind LWN is amazing and they're putting together so many cool, new shows!! Make sure to check your local listings for The Live Well Network- it's a national network, so even if you don't have cable, you can still watch it!
Anyhow, once we heard our official air date (which is only a month away!), we got to thinking that we couldn't let this momentous occasion pass by without a little celebration! So… we're having a big, ol' party!
And you know what? We want you to come! We recognize that not all of you live in our neck of the woods, and we'll totally recap the party for you here, but for those of you who live in the area, we would LOVE to meet you, give you a glimpse of what our show is all about, and of course, eat lots of good food! We're even going to have a few fun giveaways that you won't want to miss!
Here are all the details you need to know:Who: Well…us and you. Duh. What: A super fun party to celebrate our new show, Knock it Off! When: Sunday, July 7th from 6:00-8:00 PM Where: Mr. B's Cafe (Calvary Church of Souderton) Rt.113, Souderton, Pa 18964 We just ask one thing: would you let us know if you're planning on coming by Sunday, June 30th? You can RSVP by using the form below. Due to the nature of this party, we're asking that you leave any kiddos under the age of 10 at home. Thanks!
C'mon, don't you want to hang out with us?!! We are so psyched and want to share this big event with you- Seriously, we wouldn't even have our own show without this blog and all of you! We really hope to see you there! PS- A HUGE special thanks to Linda from Frog Prince Cake & Cookie design who is taking the lead in making sure this party is the coolest! Thanks Linda! If you haven't checked her out, head over to Facebook now and give her some LIKE love!
A week ago my computer broke down and because of that I haven't been able to post. Now I'm back though and I hope I haven't made you too tired to watch my post on colours. ;)
It's been a while since our last Fab Find Friday, (we haven't done one since November!), but we figured the Summer was a great time to reinstate it. We say this over and over again, but there are some amazingly talented people out there in the world, and we thought we would share their stuff with you! Here are five awesome projects for you:
Jenna Sue Sunroom Reveal is just breathtaking. She and her husband basically gutted the room and DIY-ed project after project to complete this stunning transformation. {Love}
Our friend Janena from SAS Interiors just completed a Stairway Makeover, and it majorly changes the look of her home. Her blog is chock full of great interior design info and DIY projects, so stop over and stay awhile.
Want to see a major statement wall? Take a look at this Reclaimed Wood EAT Sign by Sweet Pickins It's so much fun, and it goes without saying that we love us some reclaimed wood.
Layla killed it again with her Summer Mantel. That girl has talent.
This one's for the kids! I totally dig these Bottle Top Stamps by Vanessa's Values using bottle tops (duh!) and foam stickers. A fun project for a rainy summer day (we've had our fair share of them this summer, haven't we?).
That's it for our Fab Find Friday roundup. Any fun projects/ideas/tips you've come across recently?
Tracie from Cleverly Inspired is a blog rockstar, in our opinion. Not only is her blog fabulous, she is effortlessly beautiful and stylish, which we got to see firsthand when we met her at Haven in June. She has been super supportive of us from the get-go, and offers such sweet encouragement to us. Plus, she has great taste! Just check out theoffice makeover she did for her husband:
Please give her a big EC2 welcome and show her some love! Hello there East Coast Creative readers! I am thrilled to be here today!! I was so excited when Monica and Jess asked me to share a project with you. It was a joy to meet them at Haven this summer! They are creative clever girls! My name is Tracie and I am author of CleverlyInspired. I share all sorts of projects, crafts and recipes to help you be clever in your own home. I hope you can stop by and see me sometime!
Back when I was making over the peanut’s room… I found this old art in our storage room. It was a piece that was rather outdated… but I had a feeling I could repurpose it somehow… just wasn’t sure what it would become. The artwork and frame was one piece. The art was actually painted on a thin piece of wood or veneer… so it was nice and smooth. My wheels started turning… :)
The first thing I did was tape off the edges and spray half of the artwork with chalkboard paint. I did 2 coats and let it dry according to the directions. When it has cured… you take the side of a piece of chalk and “season” the chalkboard. Erase… now it’s ready to use!
For the other side… I used some tacky glue and adhered some cork. I bought a 4 pack of cork at Wal-Mart. Get the pieces as close to each other as possible. Place some books on top and let it dry. Then… take some favorite fabric and use spray adhesive to adhere the fabric to the cork. I cut my fabric with pinking shears so that the edges were pretty; )
Finish off the edges with some trim… if you choose to.
There you have it! Custom bulletin board/chalkboard… on the cheap! Now go look for some really outdated art and make it sing again! Thanks again for having me visit!! I would love for you to come by CleverlyInspired to see me!! Here are a few past popular post (say that 10 times fast!)
Cinnamon Toast Muffins
Garage Sale frame Twig Art
Girls bedroom becomes office Ok, everyone, go ahead out to your local thrift store and pick up some framed artwork! You have a project to do!: ) Thanks so much, Tracie!
Confession: We have crushes. Yup, goofy, girl crushes. Now, we're not crushing on boys like we may or may not have in high school and college, but we're totally crushing on a few things we think you might want to crush on too!
1- Bicycle decor. This crush started a few month ago by seeing a bicycle pillow. Then, Mandy put some crazy cool bicycle art in her foyer, and I knew it was love. How great is this fabric? It's going to be making an appearance in my family room very soon!
A friend's family owns Bicycle Gift Hub and it's an online store of all things bikes! Now, it's a bit more for the seriously-in-love-with-the-sport type, but I did find these adorable book ends!
Want to know the funniest thing about this crush? I stink at riding a bike! Like seriously am awful. The phrase,"It's like riding a bicycle" has a very different connotation to me. My husband played college baseball and one time, when we were dating, I rode my bike across campus to meet him at the gym. The whole team had just finished up BP and I came riding up, looking all cool, didn't stop soon enough, hit the curb and went flying. Seriously, I was wishing the little accident had taken my life so I didn't have to face all those guys! Oh well, they must have found it endearing because most of them still came to our wedding the next year! 2- Industrial Eclectic courtesy of The Vow. First things first, I'm pretty sure"industrial eclectic" isn't real, but I sure love it as a style. I might have been one of the only women in America more smitten by the apartment in The Vow, than the likes of Channing Tatum (although, don't get me wrong, their chemistry was really sweet.) If you haven't seen the movie, I actually liked it and the hubs said it was really good for a"chick flick" Now, onto the apartment. It was a little too urban loft for me, but soooo much of it I loved. These island light fixtures are calling my name. One of my favorite things was the sliding metal doors on the bookshelves. I need that in my world somehow!
I love all the color in the kitchen. I love the mismatched light fixtures. I love the clock. I love the island. Sensing a trend here?
Now this picture is a wee bit cluttered for me, but look at those metal doors in the back!
So the point of this rant is that I'm determined to find a way to make my so-far-from-a-New-York-loft house have an"industrial eclectic" feel. 3- Ladies Home Journal I'm crushing on LHJ for two reasons… #1- they've completely launched a new and improved magazine that's awesome. It's totally focused on the reader and what stories they want to see in the mag. #2- We're going to be collaborating with LHJ for DIY and design stories! We were in NYC on Monday meeting with the editor in chief and her whole staff. It was pretty amazing. Lots more to come about LHJ, but for now, how about you go get or renew a subscription so you're sure not to miss any of our contributions. Just for a short time it's only $5.99/year! That's insanely cheap, so there's no excuses for not joining in on the fun! Head here to subscribe.
I'm most definitely crushing on brownies right now, but that's besides the point. I know you'd rather hear about my design crushes than my brownie addiction, so here goes:
1. Coral & Blue. Goodness, I'm in love. When I first saw that Ikea-hack buffet on the right, I was immediately mesmerized. Until then, the color coral never entered my mind for my dining/living room (I was going for more of a rust color), but now it's there in full-force. After an impulsive coral search on Pinterest, I found that amazing room from Southern Living on the left, and the Waverly Sea Scallop Coral Reef fabric that just sealed the deal. Expect a coral invasion into my home and onto this blog in the very near future.
2. DIY Furniture. In case you haven't heard, Ana White is the source for free furniture plans and I get sucked in just thinking of all the possibilities. I might have said to my husband tonight after seeing the apothecary console table,"Why would we ever buy anything ever again when we can just build it?", to which he replied,"You are an absolute madwoman." Ok, he didn't say that exactly, but I know he was thinking it. Anyway, my hubs and I have been scheming for months to build this playhouse loft bed for my daughter's 4th birthday coming up in a few weeks. One time I showed her this picture:
…and she hasn't stopped talking about it since! I can't wait to surprise her with it, and I'm also strangely excited about painting and decorating the little house. I'm hoping she doesn't have any ideas of what she wants it to look like (wishful thinking, I'm sure, because there is very little that my girl doesn't have an opinion about), because I've got the whole thing planned out in my mind already! What things are YOU crushing on?
If you're new around here, let me catch you up a bit… We're partnering with Stone Depot and EP Henry and building a patio DIY style-we're crazy and we know it…(sing to the tune of LMFAO). You can catch up on the progress posts here, here, and here.
So, here's where we were when we left off last week…
We had finished the base wall and we could finally move onto the patio pavers and the sitting wall. Speaking of the sitting wall…Take a look at that beauty! We're waiting on a few more wall blocks to be in stock and then it will be finished.
Okay, so after the base wall was done it was time to get moving on the patio itself. This post is going to be chock full of DIY Patio tips, because we learned a lot along the way! We laid down the geofabric and then we needed to fill the entire patio with stone.
See all that stone? Well, multiply it times four! We needed over 35 TONS of stone and yes, we carried it one wheelbarrow at a time.
I had thought Eric dropped a pile of stone on the grass and the wall, until he explained this little trick. Worked like a charm!
When you need to work on a patio for 5 weeks and you have to move 35 tons of stone, it's important to have help…
This picture gives you an idea of what the stone was used for. We needed to apply it two inches at a time, run the tamp, and repeat until we raised it up the 20ish inches that we needed.
This is more than a tip, it's a must. There's no way a patio of this size can be done by hand. Time for the heavy equipment!
The stone needed to be 3" below the height of the wall caps. That's tricky to do everywhere, but there's a trick that works really well… although it is tedious! (**Please ignore the spelling error below! I do know how to spell achieve. Thanks!**)
I also should mention that we had to be creative with ways to entertain the kids while we spent so many hours working… The"tractor"-waterfall-rides were a huge hit. Let me just tell you that never in my life did I imagine I'd own anything made by John Deere and I especially didn't foresee having kids that love driving it around the yard! lol
Alright, back to business. I thought this was a great idea and it helped keep all the leveled stone in place while we moved to the sand.
Leveling the sand it a two person job, but it was quick and easy using this pro method. You lay down 1 inch pipes, fill the area with sand, drag a leveled board across the pipes, and it smoothly levels the area between the pipes.
Look at that smooth sand! Nice work boys! (and yes, I still refer to my hubs as a boy even after 10yrs of marriage)
After the sand, it was the moment we'd all been waiting for and I was ready with camera in hand!
I'll be back next week with our final update before the grand reveal, but until then, I need some help in the lighting department. I plan to have two lights flanking the door and then I need four pillar lights as well. I definitely want an industrial feel. So, can you help a sister out and leave any recommendations in the comments? THANKS!
Wondering about the flowers on the steps? They're wildflowers that my kiddos had picked for me as a surprise when I got home from the Haven Conference. I'm a lucky gal.
The patio is so close to being finished, I can almost taste it (or perhaps that's just the black lung from all the stone and dust!) Can't wait to show you the finished product!
P.S. If you missed our Haven Conference Recap you can check it out HERE- it was awesome!
This post brought to you by FrogTape brand painter’s tape. All opinions are 100% mine. So cutting hair isn't our normal post topic here on East Coast Creative, but when it involves Frog Tape® and a rockin' hair style… well, I think it's just right for EC2! Cutting a mohawk isn't easy business- do you have any idea how many crooked mohawks there are in the world? A lot let me tell you! (and yes, that claim is purely fictional, but I'm 99% sure I'm right!) Thanks to my ingenious husband (or maybe it's just DIY overkill that made him think of it) we created the easiest way to cut a straight, perfect, and rockin' mohawk!
And let me shed a little light on the old 'hawk before I tell you how to do it. Callen (my youngest) has my husband's hair- which means pouffy awfulness. It's okay, Eric owns it (aka shaves it all off!) It's just really bushy and we can't do anything with Cal's hair style-wise. EXCEPT… for an awesome mohawk! It's the best style because his hair is going to poof out and stick up anyhow, so it's just making the mohawk styling that much easier! Eric and I often chat about which of our son's hair styles the grandparents hate more… Cal's mohawk or Kade's super long shaggy mop. I still think the long hair gets to them the most!: ) (And no, we're not cutting the mohawk off before school starts next week. We get asked that a lot. Why would we get rid of his swagga just in time for him to meet all the little ladies??) Alright, so let me tell you how to cut the perfect mohawk so that your kids' grandparents can think you're nuts too! #1- Determine how wide you want the 'hawk to be. We liked a pretty thick one, so we used about 2 widths of Frog Tape®. Now, we were asked to share a project we'd done with Frog Tape®- they said it's multi-surface tape- good for a variety of materials. I had already cut Cal's mohawk and was like,"how's this for a unique material!" So, while Frog Tape® wasn't made with the mohawk in mind… it works like a charm!!
#2- Place the tape down on your kiddo's head exactly where you want the hair to remain. Make sure it's straight from front to back AND side to side. Remember… crooked mohawks just aren't cool! Don't worry about pressing the tape down too hard, the edge will serve as more of a guide for your buzzers, not an paint lock like we usually use Frog Tape® for.
I wonder if this little guy has any clue that this process isn't quite the norm… Such is the life of a blogger's kid! (Also, ignore the pile of clothes and messy bathroom. This is real life here people! )
#3- Use your buzzers to shave along the edge of the Frog Tape®. Don't press into the side too much, you don't want a wonky line. Any buzzers will do, but we've always used this Wahl kit.
#4- This is just a preference, but we always have our boys sit on a stool in the shower while we buzz. It's so much easier for clean up. We use a hand vac to get as much of the hair up as we can, and then the rest just gets rinsed down the drain. Easy peasy!
I couldn't love Cal's hair any more than I do. It's definintely my favorite and it's sticking around for a long time! Since cutting it in for the first time, we've trimmed the sides 3 or 4 times, so now the middle section is nice and long and big boy mohawk-ish!
If you're thinking of embarking on the mohawk journey, I definitely recommend this method to get the perfect mohawk! A little outside the box, but this straight mohawk just wouldn't have happened without FrogTape painter’s tape. We really do love Frog Tape® and have done a lot of cool projects using it. Last year when we were at the Haven Blogger Conference, we got to meet our friends from Frog Tape® and we learned a lot more about its paint lock technology. Basically it seals the edge of the tape so the paint doesn't bleed through! That's huge for me because I have some perfectionist tendencies. Did you know that FrogTape painter’s tape also recently came out with Shape Tape®? It is patterned tape, so you can get waves, chevron, etc… without measuring! We think it's pretty cool! Check out a few other projects we've one
Check out a few other projects we've done using Frog Tape®! My Chevron Accent Wall
Mosaic Accent Wall
Fireplace Makeover
If you haven't tried FrogTape painter’s tape yet, what are you waiting for? I mean you can try it on an awesome DIY project for fall OR for the most epic of all mohawks! Frog Tape is also on Twitter @Frogtape- give them a shout out and share your fall projects!
Last week I mentioned needing to overhaul the 1/2 bath in the hallway on our first floor. We haven't started that project yet (I'm dying to get started, but we're waiting for a little more moneycashflow first), but I know exactly what we're going to do. Like every other room in our house, I'm trying to move in the casual/coastal cottage feel. So you can expect to see lots of neutral colors, warm woods and rustic Pottery Barn-esque elements. The only thing I'm keeping in this room is the bathmat and the toilet. Everything else has seen it's last day. Here's our current"loo" situation:
On a side note: I didn't realize how badly this bathroom needed a makeover until after I took these pictures. Can we say boring with a capital"B"?
This builders-grade vanity has GOT TO GO!
Same with that terrible light fixture. How have I lived in this house for almost 4 years and not changed that thing out? Blech.
I'm thinking this mirror needs an upgrade (like a frame) or a replacement. I'm leaning towards replacing it with an unexpected mirror. Something different and unique. Bathroom Makeover To-Do List: 1. Paint wide horizontal stripes on the walls.
Source: younghouselove.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Source: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Adore that mirror, by the way. I love that both these bathrooms have very subtle stripes on the wall. I'm thinking a tone on tone color, or even one color, painted in stripes with different sheens (semi-gloss and flat). I love these two colors that fall next to each other in the Benjamin Moore Historical color wheel: Elmira White and Grant Beige. You almost can't see much of a difference which is exactly what I want. I'm not hoping to bowl anybody over with loud colors in this room.
Also, I'm thinking really thick stripes, maybe five total, ceiling to floor.
2. Build a vanity out of an old table or desk.
Source: desiretoinspire.net via Jessica on Pinterest
Source: decorology.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Ok, this is my favorite feature for the bathroom and is non-negotiable. This means that the whole makeover has to wait until I find the right piece of furniture. I'm hoping my luck will kick in soon and my next trip to the ReStore or thrift store will be the winner. Anyway, this is obviously a job for my hubs, but I've researched it, and it really is a pretty simple project. (I can say this since I will not be the one doing it. Ha!) I also saw a few sink bowls for really cheap at the ReStore my last time in there. 3. Add decorative items that also work as storage. Since this is the hall bath, I don't need much in the way of storage, but I do want to be able to hang a few towels and keep extra soap and toilet paper handy, especially since there won't be any storage under the new vanity. I'm totally in love with these vintage ladders and would be thrilled to score one. If I can't find a real vintage ladder, I saw a great tutorial on how to make one here.
Source: ourvintagehomelove.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Surprise! The ladder above is a fake vintage ladder. Pretty convincing, huh?
Source: alovelyescape.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Source: ballarddesigns.com via Jessica on Pinterest I'm also liking this basket from Ballard Designs. It would go great under the new table/desk/vanity. 4. Install new lighting. The look I'm going for with the lighting is industrial. Not so industrial that it's modern, but just industrial enough to look rustic. I'm not sure if that made any sense at all, but these pictures help explain it a little better:
Source: decor8blog.com via Abbie on Pinterest The lights above are my absolute favorites ever. If anyone knows where I can find one, please, I beg you, share the love!
Source: shadesoflight.com via Sarah on Pinterest
Source: houzz.com via Casey on Pinterest 5. Add a few fun elements like artwork, possibly some decorative trim (crown moulding), and wouldn't it be cute to add a door like this one?
Source: theletteredcottage.net via Jessica on Pinterest ReStore, here I come! So, what are your thoughts about my Bathroom Game Plan? Am I missing anything? Is there anything you hate? Discuss!
Today marks our first day back to work filming for Knock It Off! We've had 6 weeks off so that Jess could enjoy time off with Baby Bennett- I was the lucky one to get maternity leave too! We really enjoyed our break, but we're also super excited to get back to helping homeowners with some awesome room makeovers! Before we went on our break we tackled our first Formal Living Room makeover. We were super excited about the challenge because neither of us have particularly formal homes. If you haven't watched the episode- check it out HERE!
Here's where the room started off… The family had a TON of amazing pieces of furniture, but some of them were being hidden because there was a lot of stuff in the room.
We used a bright, yet sophisticated kelly green on the top portion of the walls.
And added a clean, crisp board and batten on the bottom two-thirds. And of course, we couldn't leave the black piano alone. It looks okay in pictures, but it was pretty beat up and needed some love… you know what that means… Yup! We painted it!! (painted piano haters everywhere are cursing us! lol)
Isn't that so much more fun? The homeowner's kids all play piano and they were excited to have their first lesson on their blue piano. I kinda wanted to be a fly on the wall when the piano teacher saw it for the first time. Mwhaha. Actually, I heard the blue color made the kids play so well that they're all headed to Julliard! From the homeowner's submission video we actually hardly noticed there was even a fireplace in the room! It was so covered up by furniture and accessories.
We narrowed down all the accessories and furniture, replaced the glass shelves with wooden ones, lined the back with fun zebra paper (we couldn't resist adding a fun pop) and then displayed some of their amazing plate collection on the freshly painted white wall.
We kept many furniture pieces the same, but others- like the one below- we changed. The wood dresser on the left is what we turned into a mini office on the right. We painted it, added new hardware, removed the bottom two drawers and it became the perfect place to keep all their office supplies. You'd never know that it's totally functional… well minus the two printers I suppose!
The room had a huge picture window, but it was really covered up by the sheer curtains. Sometimes people think sheers are great because they let in the light, but in this case, they were hiding so much!
We brought in 4 curtain panels (you can only see three), and even though they're solid, not sheer- the window looks so much larger! These curtains are IKEA curtains that we painted to have a custom feel. You can see how to paint your own curtains in this post.
We were so happy with this room- it might have been one of our favorites from Season 1! We can't wait to see what season 2 has to offer!! Check back tomorrow to see how we added the fun pop of gold on the piano wall…
Oh goodness, this dining room is taking forever to finish! I've been working on it for the past several months as money and time have allowed, and we're definitely in the home stretch, but it's the little things that are making me crazy! I've already showed you the side table I made over, and the planked wall with exposed studs accent wall we created, which really helped change the feel of the whole space. But let's be honest, one of the most obvious things that had to change to fit the whole"coastal/cottage" vibe I'm going for was the dining table.
It's a nice, solid wood table that my hubs and I bought for only $60 (yes, you read that correctly!) when we first moved into this house. I was so over the black hutch and the finish on this table, but it's functional piece so I didn't want to buy a new one. I haven't done too much furniture refinishing, so I asked my bloggy pal and furniture expert, Shaunna, if she could make some recommendations as to what I should do to change them up to fit my style. Not only did she come up with some incredible furniture ideas, but she dreamt up an entire inspiration board for my room!
Isn't that amazing? I love so many of her ideas, and hope my room turns out half as nice as her dream room!: ) So with her help, I started out refinishing the table. The first step was to remove the legs of the table and give them a good painting with Annie Sloan Chalk paint, aka my new love. I decided to paint the legs in French linen, and then once that dried, did a wash of Pure White over top. That was the easy part.
The table top…not so easy. I started off by sanding the top with 60 grit sandpaper and my palm sander. It was so difficult getting through all the layers of whatever they sealed it with that it probably took me a good hour and half to sand it all down.
I almost didn't mind, though, because what I saw as I was sanding made me super excited! I loved the look of the unfinished wood and the wood grain that began to show.
Even with all the sanding, I still didn't feel like I had removed all of the old finish, so I brushed on a layer of CitriStrip. Basically, you brush it on and leave it for the recommended time. Then, you wipe it off with a lint-free cloth and with it, off comes the finish! This sanding/stripping method really worked to get my table back to it's gorgeous, unfinished state.
Shaunna recommended that I try white-washing the table with Pure White chalk paint, so that's what I did. If you're unfamiliar with white-washing, it is an awesome way to keep the character of a piece, while subtly adding a touch of color to it. Basically, you add water to paint until it's the intensity you want. More water = less concentrated color.
I really wanted the grain of the wood to show, but I didn't care for the peachy color of the wood, so I went with a very watered down white wash.
I brushed it on, and then wiped it back with a paper towel. Because my wash was mostly water, I had to wipe it immediately after I brushed it on because it was drying very quickly. Wiping the wash back helps brings the color of the grain out, which gives it a very reclaimed wood finish.
After I washed the whole table, I was over the top giddy mildly pleased with the results.
I can't get over how well the table now fits in my dining room! It's like it was meant to live in a coastal cottage all along.
The final step is sealing it with Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax. Because this is a surface that will get lots of wear, since people will eat and drink there, it will need three coats of wax. I'm planning on doing that this week, but that's the kind of little detail (that makes a big difference!) that I don't want to do. Any one out there want to come finish my table? Please!?!?
All that hard work was totally worth it, though, because I'm head over heels in love with the table now. A big thank you to Shaunna for helping me to see it's potential! Not bad for a $60 table, huh?; ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We're honored to be featured over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar today for her week of all things curtains! Be sure to check it out to see what no-sew curtain solutions we came up with!
Board and batten has been all the rage for a while now, but I'm still surprised at how many people haven't heard of it or ask, "What was it that you did below your fabric wall?" So, we figured it was high time we did our very own post on the infamous b & b.
So, funny thing… being the English teacher that I am I thought I'd look for the official definition of board and batten, but it wasn't easy! So, here's the RHBC definition… Really awesome molding that is sort of chunky, with clean lines, and is arranged in fun rectangular shapes. Sweet! Send that one to Mr. Webster for sure! So, rather than walk you through a step by step tutorial about B & B, we'll just tell you to check out Censational Girl or The Nester's tutorials on how to install it. Instead, we're going to share with you another board and batten project that we helped out with. Our gal pal Connie needed some design inspiration for her crazy outdated dining room. Don't blame her, this was how it was when she moved in. YIKES!
Connie was picking my brain for ideas and I suggested b & b. We jumped onto Pinterest and started getting inspired! Here are a few of the pins that got us all jazzed up!
Source: None via Amy on Pinterest We love the extra rectangles in this style!
Source: lh6.ggpht.com via Lydie on Pinterest For Connie's room, she decided on a tall board and batten with a ledge for pictures.
The construction was in process, but we needed to pick a wall color. Connie was thinking some kind of chocolate color, so Jess and I went over to help her make the final decision. Here's what we ended up with…
Ha! Doesn't look like chocolate does it? We convinced Connie to trust us and she forged ahead with Olympic's Antique Moss green! The first coat was a little scary, but we knew it would be fabulous at the end!
Here's the finished room… pretty darn cool eh?
Just in case you're wondering… the C and empty frame are from Hobby Lobby. We made a little accessorizing trip for the room. It's a pretty drastic before and after…
The ledge is just wide enough to rest picture frames on- nice planning! We chose lots of wood frames in complimentary tones and did a combo of resting and hanging.
So, between the bold, green dining room and my yellow office, are you feeling the board and batten love?
Maybe, just maybe you'll be seeing a little B and B love in our episode of The Nate Berkus Show tomorrow?? (Spoiler Alert!!) Make sure to set your DVR and message us if you see it before 2pm! We have to wait all day to watch, so be sure to give us the play by play!
******************************************************************************* Wait! Don't Go! Did you vote for the Final Round of Crafting with the Stars? Check out the final 3 projects, vote, and cross your fingers that it's for our project! Thanks so much!
Every time we have a fire in the fireplace, we always ask ourselves why we don't have them more often. For some reason, our fires are lit in the coldest months of winter. As I suggested to Mike, a summer fire....with the windows thrown open and the chirping of crickets outside....why haven't we done that?
My hydrangeas are already budding, inspiring some spring reading (or at least the thought of spring reading)!
I added an orchid to the mantle in anticipation of the changing seasons.
Ever since the babies arrived, we've been spending most of our days in this room (which was tidied up before I took pictures!). For wear and tear (and spills and leaks), I typically throw a quilt over the couch. Baby swing is by Nature's Purest.
Jess and I think today's Fab Find is pretty darn fabulous… It's our"Contact Us" tab! Now, before you tune me out, give this post a chance!
We thought we'd share a recent question that we got from one of our readers! We love hearing from all of you and we want to hear from you even more! We got the following message from a reader"Jess" (and no, we did not send ourselves a fake email just to make us feel good!) Here's her message: Hi Girls — love your site! So I wanted to ask if you might be doing a post on nursery ideas in the near future (or maybe you've already done so). I'll need to start planning in the next few months…we don't have a lot of space to work with and don't want to spend a lot of money (of course). If you could point me in the direction of any good websites with simple but modern ideas, that would be great. Thanks, you girls are amazing! So… Thanks for your email Jess and here's our answer for ya! Nursery Ideas on a Budget Since I wasn't exactly sure what style the fabulous Jess wants for her nursery, I thought we'd just focus on a few money saving ideas that will still have a big impact. (Click on any of the pictures below for more info) 1. Don't tie yourself down to Babies R Us… Sure everyone thinks they need the standard, crib, changing table, armoire matchy matchy combo, but I beg to differ. Flea market, Salvation Army, Restore, and Craigslist can be your very BFF when furnishing your nursery. I love using a dresser for a changing table and there are plenty of little DIY add ons you can do to make it safe for the little one. Of course I adore this yellow buffet-turned-changing-table… does it remind you of this post?
Source: None via The Real Housewives on Pinterest Just to prove this, I took 60 seconds and found this piece on Craigslist for $20!! Seriously, I'm tempted to buy it myself! New Paint and this piece would be amazing!
Another repurposed piece. I also love the storage idea they used. You don't have to commit to the standard canvas bins. These little details can go a long way.
Source: blondiensc.typepad.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest 2. Make your storage pretty, so it counts as art… This is huge when you're wanting to be a frugal fanny. Rather than adding a million accessories and details that add up in cost, just make the practical things cute! I love these fabric book shelves and just think of all the possibilities because there are a bajillion fabrics in the world to choose from. (Yes, bajillion is a real number in my world).
Source: pennycarnival.typepad.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest I think these planters-turned-storage-bins are adorable. Now would be a great time to buy these because most likely they're on clearance at Lowes and Home Depot.
Source: centsationalgirl.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest 3. Use fabric… I wanted some witty name, but really, all I mean is just use fabric. Sure fabric can be expensive, but you can also find great clearance fabrics. Using fabric as part of your decor is both adorable and can be economical.
Source: lh6.googleusercontent.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest I don't sew. {GASP!} How can she be a blogger and not sew! Well, don't get your panties all in a knot… I have a bundle of fusible web and also a grandmother-in-law that lends a hand. The moral of my confession is that you don't need to sew to make cool things with fabric. It's amazing what you can do with a good pair of scissors. I haven't tried this fabric idea, but it's on my list of things to try. Simply wrap inexpensive painter's canvas with fabric and hang… instant art!
Source: conspicuousstyle.com via Cami on Pinterest 4. Paint your way to a pretty cool nursery… I love using a $30 can of paint to make a HUGE impact in a room. Paint has a crazy return on investment and just takes a little time and creativity. a few years ago I helped a friend do this bold wall for her twin boys' nursery.
Obviously, I am in love with this nursery for about a million reasons, but look at that chevron wall. Tape + Paint = simply awesome. There's so much you can do with paint and if you choose something bold enough, you won't need much in the way of art.
Source: madebygirl.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest No budget for moulding? Just paint it on… how cool is this? The pictures alone are beautiful, but the border really makes it a focal point and hikes up the awesomeness factor.
Source: potterybarnkids.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest 5. Pin before you begin… If you haven't yet, join Pinterest and get inspired! It's amazing how creative people are, so head on over and make a plan.
So Jess, I hope this has gotten your creative juices flowing! You're definitely going to have to share your finished product with us so we can share it with everyone! We hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well and we're so excited for you guys to welcome your little one into the world! -Monica (& Jess) So, there you have it… Contact Us! Who knows you might just get your very own post too!
We can hardly believe it, but we're in full planning mode for 2014's Season of Creating with the Stars! We had so much fun hosting the world's best DIY blogger contest last year and of course we're planning to make it BIGGER and BETTER for the upcoming year! Remember how awesome last year's winner's projects were? Sarah Dorsey has mad talent and has had a huge year of success! If you haven't checked out her blog- umm do it!
Even though CWTS won't begin until Feb. 2014, we wanted some input from all of you! Tell Us… What Blog Star would ROCK your world?
Here's last year's epic line up…1- Sherry from Young House Love 2- Whitney & Ashley from Shanty 2 Chic 3- Brooke from All Things Thrifty 4- Jane from Tatertots and Jello 5- Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick 6- Beckie from Infarrantly Creative 7- Mandi from Vintage Revivials 8- Jamielyn from I Heart Naptime 9- Shaunna from Perfectly Imperfect 10- Beth from Home Stories A to Z 11- Kari from U Create 12- Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl If you could pick anyone under the sun, who would you choose to be your STAR? Let us know in a comment below, and it just might happen. We can be pretty persuasive when we want to!
PS: We have the winners of our 10K Fan Giveaway…are you ready? Grand Prize of the $200 gift card from Wayfair.com goes to Kristen Derstein! 2nd Prize that includes gifts of $50 to Royal Design Studio Stencils, $50 to Gussy Sews Shop, and $35 to Vintage Vinyl Journals goes to Carrie Summerlin! 3rd Prize that includes gifts of $50 to Frog Prince Cake & Cookie Design, a $32.00 Mila Rose Designs headband, and $100.00 to HorseFeathers Gifts goes to Priscilla! We're so happy with the results of the giveaway, a big thank you to everyone who entered and thanks again for helping us reach 10K on Facebook. Congrats to our winners, you will be contacted by email with the details.
So. It's Sunday. 20th of March. Bare ground haven't been spotted since midst November. It is now officially reported missing. The birds are starting to sing Spring love songs. And today, when I got up to heal my hurting head, the horizon was in cascades of clear Pink and deep Orange. And it was light outside. So, Spring is here. The problem is only; it isn't here yet.
To celebrate the Spring That Isn't Here, I thought I'd show you a very pretty (of course) Rose that bears my name. I'm amazed! I never thought I'd find a flower that had the same name as I.
Apparently it is a climbing Rose, from the family Hybrid Teas. It's quite thorny (well, so am I), large and with a darker or vibrant shade of Orange. And it is continuously blooming. I think I'll get me one of these. Or two.
